The present invention relates to a process for the flotation of metal ores, in particular of ores containing copper, zinc, lead and silver.
As is known, the flotation techniques utilize compounds capable of causing a selective flotation of the ores to be separated (reference is made in this connection to Italian patent applications Nos. 48687 A/84, 48585 A/84 and 48019 A/85).
The collectors utilized or known so far are divided into two classes: ionic collectors and non-ionic collectors.
The use of oily or neutral non-ionic collectors is generally limited to the flotation of non-polar ores, while the ionizable collectors are utilized for all the other ore species, on the surface of which they are adsorbed with substantially chemical bonds.
The problems raised by a flotation process are particularly complex when the purpose is that of separating a certain ore from a mixture of ores belonging to a same class; in such a case, in fact, it is necessary to use modifying compounds which cause the action of the collector to become more specific.
However, the use of such reagents often involves serious difficulties without giving the desired results, particularly in the case of ores having a complex chemical composition, the surface properties of which are not sufficiently known.
Thus, it is particularly important to have available collecting agents capable of selectively binding themselves to certain ores, limiting incorporations of waste materials and therefore permitting a high recovery of the desired material in a highly concentrated state.